Afghan Woman Wins Asia Social Entrepreneur Of The Year Award

Sakena Yacoobi, Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning

Today at the World Economic Forum’s annual Summer Davos meeting, three businesspeople were awarded the Asia “Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award”. One of the winners was Afghanistan’s own Sakena Yacoobi. She was presented the award by Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Ms. Yacoobi was recognized as a leading social innovator in Asia because she had founded the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). AIL was founded in 1995. During this time, the Taliban movement was bringing many parts of the country under their control, and implementing barbaric rules such as prohibiting women from working and denying them the right to an education.

A press release issued by the Schwab Foundation, states that, “AIL provides health and education services to Afghan women and children so that, amid decades of war and civil strife, they can rebuild their identities, lives, society and, ultimately, their country. In addition to operating rural health clinics, AIL provides primary and secondary education, university classes, as well as teacher training and human rights workshops – altogether benefiting more than 3.5 million people to date.”

“With Asia driving much of today’s economic progress, it is even more important that people are not left behind in the development process. Social entrepreneurship plays a key role in ensuring inclusive growth,” said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

“Social entrepreneurs have an important lesson to share in today’s economic climate”, says the press release. “They emphasize long-term sustainability instead of short-term gain. Their primary focus is to maximize benefits for society and the environment through innovative and effective business models. Their approach to entrepreneurship is one of sustainable economic growth across sectors and industries, from renewable energy and education to waste management, health and rural development.”

The event was held in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.

For more on AIL, check out: http://www.afghaninstituteoflearning.org/

September 14, 2010 · admin · 8 Comments
Posted in: Education, Human Rights, Women's Rights

Eid Mubarak – We wish you and your family a happy and blessed Eid!

September 10, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Uncategorized

Health center to be built in Herat; Farah hospital to get stable source of power

Dr. Suraya Dalil

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health has announced that a new health center will be built in the Injil district of Afghanistan’s western province of Herat. A groundbreaking ceremony for the center was held last Sunday. The structure will be built by the the Italian Provincial Reconstruction Team.  Dr. Suraya Dalil, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Public Health said that the health center is being built to meet the health needs of the numerous communities in the district.  It’s scheduled to be opened in early 2011.

Elsewhere, in neighboring Farah province, an electrical project is being implemented in Farah City Hospital.  In the past, the hospital’s source of power was from an unreliable and small generator that would cause wires to short out and the hospital would lose power.  This caused various issues such as the spoilage of blood stored in the blood bank, and patient infections because of the lack of adequate climate control. The inconsistent power source also damaged equipment. After the project is fully completed, Afghan health professionals will have an ideal environment to treat their patients. On average, the hospital treats more than 300 patients in a 24 hour period – many come in during the emergency hours, and so having a consistent and reliable source of power is a must.

September 8, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Health News, Job Creation, Reconstruction and Development

An Afghan cricket team wins the Ramadan Cup in Pakistan!

AYCA - Afghan Youth Cricket Association Logo

The AYCA Afghanistan cricket team won the Dr. M.A. Shah Lephone Night Trophy 2010 competition, also known as the Ramadan Cup on Monday night in Karachi, Pakistan. 

After an unfortunate loss to the Korangi Cricket Club by 3 wickets, they scored back to back victories to win the whole competition.

First they defeated the Malir Gymkhana Cricket Club by 5 wickets. Then they made it two in row by defeating the Mullakatiar Cricket Club by 2 wickets & 147 runs. This put them in the quarter finals. In their quarter final match, they faced off against one of the favorites in the competition, the Pakistan Cricket Club. They beat them by 8 wickets and placed themselves in a semi-final match against the Pak Korangi Cricket Club. This team was no match for the Afghans as well, as they were defeated by 6 wickets. Finally, the Afghans faced off against the A.O Blues Cricket Club and defeated them by 6 wickets and 61 runs in the final match to become the champions of the competition.

Thousands of fans attended the event and it was also broadcasted live in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The organizers of the event announced that cars, motorcycles and cash prizes will be given out to the winning team as well as to the best performing players.

AYCA Players in Asghar Ali Shah Cricket Stadium Karachi during Dr. M.A Shah Lephone Night Trophy 2010 Karachi. Photo by AYCA.

September 6, 2010 · admin · 5 Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

2 new school buildings inaugurated in north eastern Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education announced recently in press releases that 2 new buildings have been inaugurated for schools located in north eastern Afghanistan.

One building was inaugurated for a girl’s high school in the Jabal Saraj district of Parwan province. The building has 24 classrooms, 2 administrative rooms, a laboratory, a security room, a room with a generator, and 7 restrooms. The building was constructed thanks to financial assistance from the Kapisa Provincial Reconstruction Team. The cost of the construction was $312,000 and it took 9 months to complete the project.

Also, in the Nijrab district of Kapisa province, a building for a middle school was inaugurated. An education ministry press release stated that the building has 8 classrooms and 2 administrative rooms. A drinking well was also built for the school.  The project took 2 years to complete at a cost of 2,685,000 afghanis (approx. $59,000). Funding for this project came mostly from the Afghan government.

September 6, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Afghan MMA fighter dominates opponent – wins in first round

Abdul Mohamed Posing With His Cage Rage Championship Title

Abdul Mohamed, a lightweight Afghan mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who fights out of England defeated his opponent Ian Jones by submission (guillotine choke) in 1 minute 40 seconds of the the first round on Saturday in the KUMMA (Knuckle Up MMA) – Kings of the North event.  The guillotine choke is a chokehold in martial arts that is applied from in front of the opponent. The choke technique involves using the arms to encircle the opponent’s neck –  similar to a guillotine. The event was held Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. With this win, Abdul Mohamed improves his record to 18 wins, 8 losses, and 3 draws.

Abdul Mohamed was born in Afghanistan’s north eastern province of Panjshir. He has been fighting professionally since 2003. He used to be the former Cage Rage World Lightweight Champion, and was the Cage Rage British Lightweight Champion until the Cage Rage organization went bankrupt. The folding of the organization left Mohamed as the last ever British Lightweight Champion.

September 6, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

Rebuilding of water canal to begin, and new power sub-station inaugurated

Mohammad Ismael Khan, Acting Minister of Water and Power

In an effort to restore the water resources in Afghanistan’s western region, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Water and Energy has announced that restoration work will soon begin on the Joy-e-now water canal in the Injil district of Herat province. Injil district surrounds Herat city, and it borders Kushk district to the north, Guzara district to the south, Zinda Jan district to the west and Karukh district to the east. According to Afghanistan’s Tolo news, “The project will include canal digging of 345,000 cubic meters, 9,000 cubic meters of gravelling and other technical work.”

According to the ministry, the project will improve the water management system and modernize irrigation, and when the project is completed, no more water will be wasted in the Injil district of Herat. The project which will cost more than US $8 million will be paid for by loans from the Asian Development Bank, added the ministry. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2 years.

Also, on Saturday, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Water & Energy and former Herat governor, Mohammad Ismael Khan, and female parliamentarian Qadria Ezdan Parast, inaugurated an 80 megawatt power sub-station in the Botkhak area of Kabul province.  Because of this new power sub-station, about 63,000 families in the area will have access to electricity.

September 5, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Reconstruction and Development

Afghan K-9 program saves lives, improves security

According to a NATO news report, an impressive K-9 (canine) program which is being used to save the lives of Afghans has been built in Afghanistan’s Mine Detection and Dog Center (MDC) in Kabul. Improvised explosive devices (IED) and landmines are a major threat in Afghanistan, and so Afghan specialists have trained dogs to “search for a wide variety of explosives, different chemicals that make explosives, and parts used in making improvised bombs and land mines.” The dogs are also being used for drug detection, riot control and border security.

There are three phases to the program. “During the first phase, the handlers are in the classrooms learning about narcotics, IED identification, mine detection, and riot control, while the K-9s are going through a socialization phase. In the second phase, the handlers are married up with their K-9’s and go through a familiarization course on obedience, learning the nuances of their individual K-9, learning to control the K-9 with a leash, and general maintenance of their dog. The third phase is where the handler and dogs are trained in the various scents of their specialty such as narcotics or explosives, and then the handler and K-9 are certified as a team.”

A senior instructor in the program was quoted as saying, “I take great pride in this because I am saving Afghan lives when our dogs are successful and they find the mines. They are saving Afghan lives today, and Afghan lives in the future.”

September 3, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Security in Afghanistan

One road completed and work on another started in Kandahar province

Kandahar, Afghanistan

Afghan media has reported that a 3 kilometer road was inaugurated in Kandahar city earlier this week.  The road was built in the Khwajak Baba area of the 4th district. The 11 million afghanis (approx. $240,000) of funding for the project was provided by the Public Welfare Department.

Also, in the Dand district of southern Kandahar province, work on the construction of a 2.5 kilometer road has started. The cost of the project is estimated to be $500,000 and it will take 3 months to complete.  Once completed, the new road will connect the district to the Deh Bagh and Roohabad areas of Kandahar province.

As more modern roads are constructed, transportation becomes easier, commerce will increase, the Afghan economy will further improve, and in the end, the quality of life in Afghanistan will get better.

September 2, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Seminars started to help Afghan educators improve

A 3 month seminar that will train teachers on how to improve their teaching skills began today in Afghanistan’s central province of Ghazni, according to a press released issued by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education. 300 teachers are participating in the training which is being held in the Alee Shamsularifeen High School.  These teachers teach science, geography, Dari, Pashto, and physics from grades 4 to12. The seminar is being held to help improve the way these Afghan teachers deliver the material to their students, thus making them much more effective educators. The seminar is able to happen thanks to financial support from the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team, and their cooperation with Afghan education ministry officials.

Another seminar also started today in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Takhar, according to the same ministry press release. This seminar is a 5 day seminar where school principals are getting together and analyzing how to improve the level of education in schools. They will discuss how to support teachers and how to train them to that they can be much more effective in their job.  This seminar is being funded by the German government.

It’s not only important that teachers know their subject matter, they must also be able to communicate their knowledge in a way that students can pick up the information easily and quickly. Seminars like these will help Afghan teachers obtain the necessary modern day skills they need to teach students in Afghanistan much more effectively.

September 1, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education

Buildings inaugurated for schools in Balkh, Herat, and Kabul

According to an education ministry press release issued today, a building for the Sheikh Mohammad Sidiq Shahab boys and girls high school in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif was inaugurated today by Afghan officials. Mazar-e-Sharif is located in Afghanistan’s northern province of Balkh. The building was built in one year by the Rafi’ Waleed Construction Company at a cost of $73,000.  The project was funded by UNICEF. The building has 8 classrooms, 4 administrative rooms, and it is furnished with 240 tables and chairs.  It is equipped with the necessary items required for the students’ educational needs. 

Also on Wednesday, August 25th, a building was inaugurated for an elementary school in Hasan Dara, which is located in the Farza district of Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kabul.  The building was constructed in 6 months at a cost of $100,000. Funding for the project was provided by a charity dedicated to helping the children of Afghanistan. The building has 8 classrooms, 2 administrative rooms, and it is equipped with  the necessary items required for the students’ educational needs. 

Finally, on Tuesday, August 24th, a building was inaugurated for a boys and girls high school in Sara Parda, which is located in the Obah district of Afghanistan’s western province of Herat. The building was built in one year by the Naweed Bost Construction Company.  The project was paid for by the education ministry. The building has 16 classrooms, 8 administrative rooms, 10 rest rooms, and it is equipped with  the necessary items required for the students’ educational needs.

August 29, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Cricket camp for girls held in Afghanistan

In an effort to promote the sport of cricket amongst girls in Afghanistan, the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) of London, the Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organization (AYCSO), and the Afghan-Connection organization came together and held what is being reported as the first ever girl’s cricket camp in Afghanistan. The camp was held last week in the Karte Naw district of Kabul. Fifty girls participated in the camp – they were taught about the sport of cricket and how to improve their game.  Even Pakistani female cricket coach Salma Faiz came to the camp to teach what she knows to Afghanistan’s’ future female cricket players. AYCSO was founded by former national cricket team player, Raees Ahmadzai.  In fact, many national team members participate in similar camps. More camps for both girls and boys are scheduled to be held soon.

August 27, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News, Women's Rights